Car-coupling



o. BICKMEIER.

GAR GUPLING.

A @noem/EQ@ C'hcLrLeeYBw/cmewr UIN IHN

Patented Apr. 24, 1894.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES EICKMEIER, 0E BELLAIRE, oHIo.

GAR-cou'PLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 518,910, datclrAprl 24,1894.

Application led December 19,1893. Serial No. 494,115. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES BICKMEIER, of Bellaire, county of Belmont, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplers, of which the following is a specication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to produce an improved car coupler and means for operating the same by the aid of compressed air.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure lis a front elevation of my coupler, showing a pneumatic pin lifting device connected with the head' of the pin, and located at one side thereof. Fig. 2 is a similar View, showing the pin lifting device connected with the bottom of the pin. Fig. 3 is a similar View,show ing the'pin lifting device arranged directly over the pin. Fig. 4 is a view of the pin and knuckle detached, to illustrate their relations to each other.

Referring to the figures on the drawings: 1 indicates a coupler head and 2 a knuckle, of the Janney type, pivoted thereto, as indicated at 3. The knuckle is provided with a wing 4 grooved, as indicated at 5. This wing, in practice, is retained, so as to hold the knuckle in the coupling position, by a vertically movable pin 6 carried in the coupler head. The pin 6 has an extension piece 7, by which the pin is guarded throughout the limit of its movement. For lifting the pin I prefer to employ a pneumatically operated piston 8 carried in a cylinder 9 secured to the coupler head. A hose 10 communicates with asource of compressed air, not illustrated. The piston may be located to one side of the pin and carry a beveled ended finger 1l, moving in a groove 12 and in the line of a recess 13 in the head of the pin, as illustrated in Fig. 1. By this arrangement the movement of the piston forces the inclined edge of the iinger under the pin head andlifts the pin. When the air pressure Vis relieved the piston is immediately retracted by a coiled spring 14 carried between the piston head and the end of thepcylinder. Instead of this mechanism, which I prefer, the piston may be located underneath the extension 7 of the pin and carried upon a frame 15. When the piston is driven forward a pin support 16 strikes the end of the pin extension and lifts it so as to allow the knuckle to turn upon its pivot. This mechanism is illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

V'In Fig. 3 a superimposed cylinder and piston are shown, in which a link connection 17 is made between the piston and the pin and the compressed air is forced into the cylinder under the piston, Vas illustrated.

What I claim isv The combination with a coupler head, of a pivoted knuckle, a vertically movable pin, a recess in the head of the pin, a cylinder, a spring-actuated piston, and a beveled ended finger carried by the piston and in line with the recess in the pin, substantially as set forth. In testimony of all which I have hereunto subscribed my name.

CHARLES BICKMEIER.

Witnesses:

JAMES S. JOHNSTON, IoHN ZWEIG. 

